UPDATE: Well I don't know what you thought, but that's about as comfortable, honest, unscripted, and clear-headed as I've ever appeared on these interview shows. And I appreciate Jim not trying to coerce me to "go for the jugular" with the police.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Let's get down to business (I'll stop with the goofy posts already)

I called the SQ this afternoon (I let that slide for the last two months, what with the holiday and all). Still trying to find out who Theresa's new investigator is. The secretary assured me that this time someone would get back with me.

This, having just got word that Sharron Prior 's investigator is set to retire, so the Priors are also playing guessing games about what's in store for that case.

I was reading the stories about Dr. Charles Smith, the disgraced Canadian pathologist whose child-death investigations are currently under review in Ontario. According to independent experts, Dr. Smith made "serious errors in 20 of 45 criminally suspicious deaths he helped investigate between 1991 and 2001." Now he's the subject of an inquiry.

What interested me most (beyond Dr. Smith's obvious bias and incompetence) was the fact that a detective on the Sudbury police force actually apologized to the family for the mistakes in the investigation of their son's death--even though the mistakes weren't his fault.

"Insp. Keech said he eventually became convinced himself that Dr. Smith had led the police astray, and met with Maurice Gagnon, Lianne's father, to apologize.

"I kind of harboured a lot of guilt about what I had done," he told the inquiry. "It was kind of an opportunity for me to apologize for what I had put them through, for my actions."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the police (and Champlain officials) involved in Theresa's investigation publicly admitted that mistakes were made, apologized to the Allore family and revisited her case with an open mind to right their wrongs? It seems like such a simple thing to do...but so few of those in positions of power are able to say "I'm sorry".

In case detectives and school administrators don't know what an apology is, Dr. Carl Schneider spells it out:

"...an apology involves the acknowledgement of injury with an acceptance of responsibility, affect (felt regret or shame - the person must mean it), and vulnerability - the risking of an acknowledgement without excuses. It is repair work - work that is often necessary, but difficult."

If you can't manage admitting the wrong, then just acknowledge the pain that was caused and do what you can to mitigate the damage (e.g., be transparent about Theresa's case). It's never too late for an apology. And never too late to put things right.

If you want to know more about the Charles Smith Inquiry, the National Post has an excellent series of articles here:

Sunday, January 27, 2008

This week a former school mate, Dave West died of a heart attack at his office in Calgary. He was in his early forties. The news unsettled many of us who knew Dave; he was such a fitness guy, apparently still extremely healthy up until his death.

As a friend said, "It sure makes you think... I've started going to the gym again..."

Ya, like a lot of good that did Dave.

I didn't know Dave well. He was a grade ahead of me in school. We hung with different crowds. He was known best to me for always working-out with Rod Cutts, the guy who stole my sweet-heart's eye when I was desperate for a certain one-day-to-be journalist's attention.

What I do know... now is I liked him. He was fair, non-judgemental and honest. This meant a lot to me at a time where I was being picked on by much of the student body. Given his size and stature, Dave could have easily been a bully. He was always too smart for that. Choosing instead to be somewhat above it all, while the rest of us struggled through the pulls and prods of adolescence.

I have an indelible image of Dave: Dave and Rod, in the basement of the main school house - in that tremendously oppressive and smelly weight room - working on their abs. Cut off tees, maybe some Stones playing on a cassette player... I thought it all so stupid. What did I know? I was a theater-geek. It was a miracle of nature that we even co-existed.

Thinking back, this is how I choose to remember Dave. Because I don't think it was stupid. It was admirable. Even today, as I struggle at the local gym to do my 10 reps on the Dynamax... Dave got it right.

Dave West (to the left of Captain Gavin Garbutt) with the 1980 RCS Rugby team

As you might imagine, I have a weird frame of reference when it comes to death. I didn't know Dave well enough to be broken up about it. And I'm not going to pretend that he meant more to me than he did to justify something missing in my life. What I'm left with - like many of us - is melancholy. And melancholy isn't such a bad thing if it helps us pause, reflect, recharge.

To those that did know Dave, my sincerest condolences on the loss of your friend. To his wife and child, to Peter, I extend my thoughts and prayers. God rest.

"I want to write it all down so that the next guy will know what it is you go through"15 years and still going strong, the brainchild of Maxine Hong Kingston... The Veterans Writing Group provides war vets with a channel for expression.Hear a report on VWG at NPR.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Hero or Foolhardy?

When I first read this story about a 53-year-old woman confronting and chasing down a burglar, I was inspired. I like it when women refuse to be victimized. But the cops reminded readers that it could easily have had a different outcome.

I would like to think that I would fight back in similar situation...but truth be known, my first instinct would be to head straight back out the door and call 9-1-1.

Of course, the woman in this story also happened to be a marathon runner and holds a black belt in karate so she was probably a little more prepared than most.

I guess, in the final analysis, women need to know their limits, be able to assess the seriousness of the situation and do whatever it takes to survive--whether that's kicking and screaming or cooperating if the threat is too precarious.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Thank you John and Maritime Missy for letting me share this space today.

'Warnings and Hoaxes'

by Anon

A couple of days ago I received an email warning females about a ploy that was being used on women. It described how a young woman had been approached in the parking lot of a mall and asked to sample a new perfume. She didn't try it because she herself had been warned by an email of just such a ruse. The sample is not perfume, it is ether or some other anesthetic or solvent.

I thought this was a good warning so I forwarded this to everyone I knew. Within hours, several people wrote to tell me that this email was a hoax. Nevertheless, I thought it was a good warning because, even if it was a hoax, apparently it has been around a while and gone quite far, that some unscrupulous people might actually think that this is a good way to abduct someone and use it. I wrote back saying that it was a good warning anyway, and it gave me the chance to send out another warning that I would like to share here.

I recently transcribed the warnings of a mother whose daughter was abducted 2 years ago today, January 24, 2006. Her name is Jennifer Kesse. This is a true story. The words of warning from her mother are not a hoax.

"...never park along side of a van, whether or not it's a paneled van or a commercial vehicle or a passenger van that has the sliding door; whether or not there's anybody in the front seat because you could literally be putting your keys in your car and that sliding door can open and you can be stunned with a stun gun and dragged into that van in less than 3 seconds. That's how quickly you could be abducted, so we pretty much tell people that we talk to, you know one of the smartest things to do is don't park along side of a van." Joyce Kesse, mother of missing Jennifer Kesse - Missing Pieces - Episode 43

And take it from one who has been in a bad situation and survived, all warnings are good warnings.

Investigators: The last voice for murder victimsWitnesses: The power to bring a killer to justice

Here’s an interesting story about a cold case in south Texas that caught my eye. It touches on a number of things common to Theresa’s case:

- No real evidence- Strangled woman found near water- The importance of witnesses coming forward- The fear preventing witnesses from coming forward- The lack of resources assigned to cold case investigators

Ann Marie Garcia’s case was revived when a witness, serving time for other crimes, came forward with new information.

I truly believe that in order for Theresa’s case to get some attention from law enforcement, it needs a witness and/or a confession. Somebody killed Theresa. And that somebody most surely has talked or raised the suspicion of friends, family or co-workers who know him/them. If you’re one of those people, find your voice.

…Strangled, abused and dumped on the banks of a Delta-area canal, (Ann Marie Garcia’s) body was found on Oct. 23, 2003, by fishermen searching a field of tall weeds for bait.

…Investigators combed the scene for hours that fall morning but uncovered few clues as to who killed her or why. …For years her murder went unsolved. And it likely would have remained that way were it not for the efforts of one detective determined to follow the truth. … the Hidalgo County sheriff’s deputy persisted, determined not to let her memory — like those of so many other victims of unsolved murders — fade away in a haze of mystery. …“These aren’t just names in a report — they’re people,” Garza said. “And as an investigator, you’re their last voice.”

…With limited time and resources, local authorities can rarely dedicate the manpower to sprawling, time-intensive investigations that have already ended in dead ends one time around.

… the answers modern tools delivered were often limited by the evidence originally collected at the crime scene, Garza said.

… deciding to reopen an unsolved murder like Ann Marie’s involves a complex rubric of criteria. Detectives must consider whether witnesses and suspects are still available for interviews and whether prosecutors feel they can successfully try the case. …Before expending long hours and department resources on a pursuit that could end as nothing more than a wild goose chase, investigators must determine the likelihood that the case will be closed, said Rudy Jaramillo, a former cold case detective with the Texas Rangers who spent years investigating the 1960 murder of McAllen beauty queen Irene Garza. That case remains open to this day.

…If there are no witnesses, no suspects and no crime scene left, these cases will still be almost impossible to wrap up,” he said.

…In many cold cases, witnesses become more cooperative as time passes, said Rudy Jaramillo, a former member of the Texas Rangers’ cold case squad. …“One thing you have on your side is time,” he said. “You can go back and talk to associates, and people are not as afraid as they were before.”…But in Garcia’s case, the power the Mexican Mafia held over its current and former members far outweighed time.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Democracy Rules

I have changed my blog priority settings for Sitemeter from "high" to "low". This means if you click on the Sitemeter icon on the right (down a bit) you will now - for the first time - be able to track statistics about who's been on the blog, what they've looked at, and how long they've stayed, etc...

I've certainly been aware for some time what government officials (Federal, Provincial, Local) have been checking up on us. Isn't it time that you were aware too?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Let’s see how “caring” Jacksonville is…

Jacksonville, North Carolina, is home to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and is about 160 kms southeast of Chapel Hill—John Allore’s current place of residence. You’ve probably been reading a lot about this place in connection with a pregnant female Marine whose remains were found burned in the backyard fire pit of a fellow Marine who was also alleged to be her rapist, murderer and the father of her unborn child.

Jacksonville’s slogan is “A Caring Community”. Well I, for one, would like to see just how caring this community really is. Will the Marines work hard for justice—or work hard on a cover-up? Will the court system punish those who have provided assistance in hiding Laurean? And will the rest of us stand up and say, “Enough! Let’s prove that we value the lives of our daughters, sisters and mothers enough to provide them with basic human rights protection.”?

How many more Stacy Petersons, Laci Petersons, Sharron Priors, Debbie Keys and Theresa Allores must lose their lives before society demands more of our governments, law enforcement, courts, and employers?

We care enough to be outraged by these crimes. But do we care enough to join the fight to hold the killers accountable?

The murderers of Theresa Allore, Sharron Prior and Debbie Key are still enjoying their freedom while their victims have been silenced. If you have information about their deaths, then show you care by coming forward with information.

Jacksonville, N.C.--A Marine corporal was charged Saturday with first-degree murder in the disappearance of a pregnant Marine.

Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Laurean, 21, of 103 Meadow Trail in Jacksonville, remains at large. He had used the victim's bank card at an ATM in a city in North Carolina since disappearing early Friday, but officials would not specify which one.

Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown said the remains of Lance Cpl. Maria Frances Lauterbach and her unborn child were discovered Saturday in a fire pit in Laurean's backyard. Brown said they believe Laurean – whom she had accused of rape – burned and buried her body after a horrific attack.

"The fetus was developed enough that the little hand was about the size of my thumb," Brown said. "The little fingers were rolled up, and this is consistent with what we were looking for, a pregnant lady who is the victim, Maria Lauterbach, and her unborn child.

"As well as I could see, the body was much charred," Brown added. "The fetus was in the abdominal area of that adult. ... That is tragic, and it's disgusting."

North Carolina law does not allow for murder charges to be filed in the death of an unborn child. Lauterbach, 20, a member of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group at Camp Lejeune, was reported missing on Dec. 19. She was 8½ months pregnant at the time of her disappearance.

The remains found Laurean's backyard have not been positively identified as Lauterbach's, but Brown said he felt law enforcement had collected enough evidence to proceed with murder charges. The remains will be sent to the state medical examiner's office in Chapel Hill for a positive identification using dental records.

The charred remains were found buried roughly 6 inches to 1 foot underground, said Dr. Charles Garrett, the Onslow County medical examiner.

Investigators found blood spatters on the ceiling and a massive amount of blood on the wall of Laurean's home, Brown said.

"The blood patterns were even up into the ceiling," he said. "The blood splatters indicate a violent, violent attack."

Someone had tried to clean up the scene and even painted over some of the blood, Brown said. Laurean had refused to meet with investigators and left the area without telling his lawyers where he was going, the sheriff said.

The State Bureau of Investigation and the Marine Corps were assisting in the search for Laurean. He was described as a white man, 5 feet, 9 inches tall and 160 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was believed to be driving a black 2004 Quad Cab Dodge pickup with North Carolina license plate TRR-1522, Brown said.

Before he fled, Laurean left a note claiming that he had buried Lauterbach in his yard after she committed suicide, Brown said. The note said Lauterbach had "come to his residence and cut her (own) throat," Brown said, adding that he doubted those claims.

Authorities said they received the note from Laurean's wife, Christina, around 8 a.m. Friday, four hours after the suspect fled. Christina Laurean continued to cooperate with the investigation. Brown said he could not comment on the military proceedings for rape that Lauterbach had initiated against Laurean in April.

Lauterbach met again with military prosecutors in December to discuss pursuing rape charges against Laurean, said Kevin Marks, the supervisory special agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at Camp Lejeune. Prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to argue that the case should go to a court martial, he said.

In a search warrant filed this week, prosecutors said the anticipated birth of the baby "might provide evidentially credence to charges she lodged with military authorities that she was sexually assaulted by a senior military person."

As a corporal, Laurean was one enlisted grade higher than Lauterbach.

Military investigators said they started looking into the rape allegation last April. Lauterbach's uncle, Pete Steiner, said she was frightened by the possible consequences if she reported the rape and pregnancy.

"Shortly after she became pregnant, she told us that she had been raped," Steiner said. "She did not report this to the Marines for approximately a month. She was scared and didn't know what was going to happen to her."

Laurean joined the Marine Corps in September 2004 and was promoted to corporal in September 2006. He was a decorated Marine whose honors included a good conduct medal.

Authorities said they did not consider Laurean a flight risk until Friday because they had information the pair carried on a "friendly relationship" after she reported the assault to military authorities.

Steiner denied that his niece had any kind of relationship with her attacker. Lauterbach had been forced to rent a room off base because of harassment at Camp Lejeune, he said.

"She was raped," Steiner said. "The Marines, unfortunately, did not protect her, and now she's dead."

Lauterbach's attacker was the baby's father, Steiner said.

Melinda Artzur, a former Marine who was a close friend of Lauterbach, said the missing Marine was a free spirit who loved sports.

"She almost pretty much always had a smile on her face, very positive. She was a light," Artzur said.

After Lauterbach was reported missing, her cell phone was found on Dec. 20 along N.C. Highway 24, and her car was found Monday night at a bus station near Camp Lejeune.

Lauterbach had purchased a one-way bus ticket to El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 15, but she never used it, Brown said, and investigators and family members said they were unsure if she had run away.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

My Dad gave me this the last time I saw him:

He'd been cleaning out his garage and found it in a bottom drawer. Lalande's was a grocery store up the street where we lived in Pierrefonds. He said in November 1978 he took it down and put it away because that was when time stopped.

Monday, January 07, 2008

One more outstanding question has been rattling in my brain for quite some time. Why was Theresa murdered?

A number of possible motives have been suggested—the most common ones being sexual assault and drugs. But are we limiting the investigation by not considering other possible motives?

If we can narrow down the motive, it might help us eliminate possible suspects or add new ones to the list.

So what are the usual motives for murder? (And which of them might apply in Theresa’s case?) The following book excerpts provide these insights:

"Motive for murder can be divided into seven specific groups: 1) Profit; 2) Elimination; 3) Revenge; 4) Jealousy; 5) Conviction; 6) Sadism; 7) Sex....Removal of the person who happens to be 'in the way' is the determining factor in a great number of murders. In the true elimination murder the continued existence of the victim is inconvenient or dangerous to the killer."- The Detection of Murder - A Handbook for Police Officers, Detectives, Coroners, Judges and Attorneys, by Paul B. Weston and William F. Kessler

“For example, an investigation of the homicide of a known narcotics trafficker that results from a drug deal gone awry will take a completely different dynamic from that resulting from a domestic dispute between a husband and wife.”- Evidence Collection by Joseph J. Vince and William E. Sherlock

“There are certain types of homicide where the motive for the act is not always apparent or is truly unknown. This is more characteristic of homicide incidents that have occurred simply because of some altercation over a trivial matter, or some homicides that involve children…”- The Cambridge Handbook of Australian Criminology, by Adam Graycar and Peter N. Grabosky

In my opinion, any of the following could be realistic motives for murder in Theresa’s case:

Sexual assault (Theresa was found semi-nude but the coroner found no apparent signs of trauma. There was some bruising seen under her armpits prior to the autopsy. Could that have been due to the force applied when dragging her to final resting place? Can bruising happen after death?)

Profit/robbery (Theresa’s wallet was found without any money in it. As I mentioned before, I wonder if anyone checked her banking activity leading up to the day she was murdered. Can that be done now?)

Drugs/concealment of another crime (Maybe she saw something…)

Relationship (Was there someone who was romantically interested in Theresa and felt “rebuffed” by her…resulting in a “if I can’t have her, then nobody will” attitude?)

Another question to ask is: What kind of person would benefit from Theresa’s death?

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Who Killed Theresa website

I've received a few inquiries as to why I "killed" the Who Killed Theresa? Website.

The main reason was because the website was "static" and the blog is much more interactive. Overtime I was spending all my time blogging information, and the website became more-and-more an artifact of 2002-2003. Also, the blog's html platform is much easier to work with (I am no computer guru; the website requires dream quest (?) or some such software. It's expensive and I can't afford it. Also, the blog is free. The website cost about $35 / year; not a lot, but at least the kids allowance for a month.

If you scroll down this page and click on "who killed theresa website" under "dinky links" you will be taken to something that looks a little like the old website. I don't know how or who or why this information is being maintained (you can see its much more "commercial"; perhaps the owner is hoping someone will want to buy it (it sure isn't me)).

1. I too would love to comb the archives of the SQ's Don Bosco offices: How does anyone propose I get permission to do so? I am persona-non-grata with the SQ. They won't return my phone calls. The Ministre of Securite Publique has cut me off. Theresa's file is in limbo.

All offers and flashes of ingenuity are welcome.

I will add here that I was in Montreal over Christmas, but decided (wisely) to keep a low profile. No police contact. No media. No lobbying the government. I played hockey, watched hockey, spent time with my family. There will be time to take up the banner later in the new year.

2. I have a further question for the Gagnons: Who was employed on the farm between the winter 1978 and the spring of 1979?

More and more I have difficulty accepting anyone would pull off the side of the road of chemin de la station and drag a body to a dump site. That is one, big wide open valley. Have you seen the dump sites of Camirand and Dube? Completely secluded. Pulling off the road is risky behavior beyond my comprehension. But if you worked on the farm? Aggressed the girl in the barn at the back without the family knowing? Then dumped the body in the adjacent water? This is plausible.

This is on my mind as I am completing a second edit of my chapter for Kim Rossmo's book on investigative failures. It has to be to the editors by the end of January. The chapter is called, What Happened to Theresa Allore? It includes some stuff you've already read (Pearson). Also, extensive pages on the disappearances and discoveries of Dube and Camirand (other than the French, historical press, I don't think there has been this much written about them in English). There was a paragraph written about Sue, but I cut it (so it goes). The best part of it all is the absolute ream-job it delivers to the SQ. It is written without vitriol, but you definitely get the message that after 30-years, these guys still don't know what they're doing. And it's backed by the editing abilities of Kim Rossmo; one of the most respected and influential voices in criminal investigative practices. Frankly, I was surprised he let me keep some of the writing, but pleased that he did.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Welcome to 2008…

The blog has been rather quiet lately and I must admit that I have been a tad negligent in blogging duties. I got wrapped up in holiday festivities and put the blog on the back burner.

Since 2008 will be the 30-year anniversary of Theresa’s death, I say that we step up our efforts this year and see if we can’t get some more answers. Even if we can’t bring the case for prosecution, maybe we can at least identify a list of suspects and wrap up some loose ends.

Here are some of my outstanding questions. I’m sure John has a few for the politicians. Let me know what yours are.

Questions for the Gagnon family...

Did they have dogs?

Did they ever go down to the bog between November and April? If they didn’t, why not?

Questions for investigators…

Who were the suspects in the Louise Camirand and Manon Dube murders? Were they ever considered for Theresa’s murder?

Could robbery have been considered a motive for Theresa’s murder? Her wallet was empty. Did the police ever check her bank accounts to see if she withdrew any money that week?

Were the Pouliots ever considered as suspects? (Champlain College’s Director General, Gerry Cutting, mentioned them in a conversation with John Allore on March 15, 2002)

Can we get a team to search the Lake Memphremagog area where the two hunters report seeing Theresa’s clothes two days after her disappearance? Maybe there are still some remnants.

Questions for the Champlain student population…

Could Theresa have witnessed something that caused someone to panic and kill her? (Did she see a drug deal go down?) Her brother, John Allore, says she had “a smart mouth”. Maybe she answered back to the wrong person.

Did anyone return books to Theresa’s locker after she went missing?

Other than her boyfriend at the time, did someone else have a romantic interest in Theresa?

Questions for the Champlain faculty…

Was there a member of the faculty who seemed a little “too interested” in the affairs of students?

Why was Stewart Peacock never interviewed? Why did he leave and where did he go?

Who was the teacher that Roch Gaudreault named as a suspect? Why was he/she a person of interest?

Questions for John...

Anon has offered to look for the missing evidence at the SQ’s headquarters on Parthenais Street in Montreal. How does she go about getting the permission she needs to search the evidence storage rooms?